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National Environment Month

Press Release :The British Columbia Snowmobile Federation and Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations Celebrates Quieter Snowmobiles During National Snowmobiling Environment Month – February 2012

Whistler, BC – February 7, 2012 - During February, National Snowmobiling Environment Month, the BC Snowmobile Federation (BCSF) and the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations (CCSO) celebrates today’s quieter snowmobiling and advocates strong enforcement of existing laws against muffler modification for snowmobiles.

Powered by cleaner-burning, advanced 4-stroke and next generation 2-stroke engines, today’s snowmobiles help keep nature beautiful by operating with significantly reduced sound levels. Since 1974, the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) have reduced the sound levels of snowmobile engines by 94%. In fact, replicating the noise from just one of those early machines would take 256 current snowmobiles revving simultaneously at full throttle. Today’s more advanced sleds, benefiting from cleaner, advanced technology, sophisticated engine design, improved sound suppression techniques and are up to 50% quieter than previous models built as recently as the late nineties.

This dramatic improvement starts with an internationally recognized, third party, testing agency that must certify all new snowmobiles by administering two rigid sound tests. These tests are set, reviewed and updated regularly by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and ensure that a stock snowmobile, operated in the most extreme condition at wide-open throttle, will not exceed 78 decibels (+ 2). Most provinces have existing laws that make it illegal to perform after market modifications that change the SAE-certified sound range of stock sleds.

To put the sound of a snowmobile in perspective, engineering groups have completed numerous studies over the last few years, comparing the sound of snowmobiles to those of road vehicles. Interestingly, when tested using the SAE J-192 test procedure, many road vehicles emit a higher level of noise than a snowmobile. In fact, many trucks and road vehicles, tested to the SAE J-192 procedure in its entirety, registered sound levels nearly six times greater than a stock snowmobile. Moreover, many commonplace items such as car horns, snow blowers, lawn mowers, chainsaws, leaf blowers and vacuum cleaners are rated at 80 decibels (A) or more.

National Snowmobiling Environment Month is also a celebration of the many stewardship accomplishments of the CCSO and its member organizations. These ongoing initiatives include working with government and environment groups on seeding, tree planting, protecting sensitive habitats and species, erosion control, installing bridges and culverts to protect rivers and streams, and ongoing education and outreach efforts within the snowmobiling community.

In addition to embracing Best Available Technology snowmobiles, the CCSO is using National Snowmobiling Environment Month to remind riders to leave tracks, not trash; to maintain sleds at peak operating efficiency; to avoid noisy after market pipes; and to ride on trails within officially designated trails.

With a mission statement of being "Dedicated to providing leadership and support of safe, organized and environmentally responsible snowmobiling in Canada", the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations is the national body serving as the umbrella group for this country’s snowmobiling associations and federations.